Lady Bulldogs outlast Lady Diamonds in district contest

In the District 4A-6 fast-pitch softball game between the visiting Muldrow Lady Bulldogs and the host Sallisaw Lady Diamonds on Tuesday evening at Sallisaw High School’s “Turf of Dreams,” it came down to which team took more advantage of its opportunities. That team proved to be the Lady Bulldogs, who outlasted the Lady Diamonds 6-5.

The telling factor was which team took advantage of its chances better. The Lady Bulldogs (2-1 overall, 2-1 in district play) left 10 runners on base, but only once did they leave the bases loaded — and that came in the sixth inning after an error and two walks with two outs loaded the bases.

On the other hand, the Lady Diamonds (0-2, 0-1) stranded 13 runners on base, but three times they left the bases loaded — in the first, second and sixth innings.

With the game tied at 2-all after three innings, the Lady Bulldogs took the lead for good with a three-run fourth inning as an RBI fielder’s choice by Amaya Duran that was sandwiched in between two wild pitches put Muldrow ahead for good at 5-2.

The Lady Diamonds cut their deficit to 5-4 in their half of the fourth inning as an RBI groundout by Delaney Compton and a wild pitch produced two runs.

Muldrow got its big insurance run in the fifth inning on an RBI fielder’s choice by Kesslyn Pratt to make it 6-4.

In the sixth inning, Compton’s RBI single scored Sydney Weedon to cut the Sallisaw deficit to 6-5.

After a walk to Jaycie Cox to load the bases, Muldrow pitcher Jaydin Dean struck out two of the next three batters, which sandwiched a foul pop-up right behind home plate, to put an end to the threat to keep the Lady Bulldogs ahead.

The Lady Diamonds got a two-out single by Weedon to put the game-tying run on base in the seventh inning, but Dean induced a foul pop-up behind home plate for the second time in as many innings to end the game.

The Lady Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning on Raegan Newbern’s two-out, RBI single, only to see the Lady Diamonds tie the game at 1-all on a oneout bases-loaded walk by Cox.

Muldrow regained the lead at 2-1 in the third inning on Newbern’s sacrifice fly, but Sallisaw responded with a run in the bottom of the frame on a Muldrow error to once again knot the game at 2-all after three innings.

For the game, Amarie Duran was 2-for-4 with two runs scored for Muldrow. Dean (1-1) got the win, striking out eight batters and scattering six hits.

In defeat, Weedon was 2-for-2 with three walks to reach base safely in all five plate appearances and scored two runs, while Channing Wilson was 2-for-4 for Sallisaw. Compton (0-2) was the hard-luck loser, despite fanning six batters and allowing five hits.

Muldrow 6, Sallisaw 5

MULDROW 101 310 0 — 6 5 2

SALLISAW 101 201 0 — 5 6 2

WP — JAYDIN DEAN (M) (1-1). LP — DELANEY COMPTON (S) (0-2).

LOB — MULDROW 10, SALLISAW 13.